Rains welcome to area

While seasonal rainfall in the area remains woefully below even 100-year levels, the two days of precipitation was welcomed by residents. Some took advantage of the rain to wash vehicles, store roof runoff in barrels and for watering thirsty plants. For most Januaries the .24 inches that fell Jan. 28 and even the .56 inches on Jan. 29 would hardly have been worth mentioning, but this season is different.

The California water year starts each October 1. Even with the recent rain, this water year has provided only 4.08 inches of rainfall as of Jan. 30. This compares with 34.8 inches for the water year at the end of January 2013. In the past 110 years the average rainfall in Willits between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31 has been 29.98 inches according to the Western Region Climate Center.

Looking forward, the average rainfall in Willits over the past 110 years for February has been 7.96 inches; March 7.60 inches; April 3.14 inches; and May 1.49 inches. Most area residents are hoping the latest rainfall is a sign things are returning to "normal."